Xavier Kataquapit

In Paris this week, the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire and brought sections of it crashing down onto the inside of this historic building. I had the opportunity to visit this amazing historical monument on my visit to this beautiful city years ago. It was amazing to wander into the depths of this grand cathedral to see all the statues, works of art, stained glass windows and to listen to the impressive organ during an evening mass. I always find that in visiting these old cathedrals, history provides a glimpse back in time.

I am hearing way too often about wonderful young people right up here in Northern Ontario passing away because they took a drug that was so powerful they had no way of knowing it would easily kill them. All kinds of drugs have been doing that over the past decade or so with the opioid epidemic and lately with the arrival of fentanyl many more young people are dying.

I avoid our two lane highways like Highway 11 in the north as much as possible during the winter time. There is something frightening in the thought that the only thing that separates me from oncoming traffic is an imaginary line that no one should cross in the middle of the road. One might survive a collision with a vehicle of similar size but there is no chance if you happen to hit a tractor and its trailer. They are like little trains.

I cannot recall many winters as cold as this one. This winter started with a lot of snowstorms in December of 2018 and then in January we got more snow and the temperatures here in Northern Ontario dropped to more than 30 below zero and more like minus 40 taking wind chill into account. Many Elders I know tell me that they do not remember this kind of extreme cold for many consecutive days and such huge snowfalls since the 1960s and 70s.

Here we are entering another new year and leaving the old one in our dust. A lot of good things happened in 2018 but in my own experience I also have had to deal with family loved ones with health issues and also the passing of family members and friends. So, hello 2019 and I say that with the hope for all of us that we will have a wonderful year and that the world will become a more peaceful, loving and tolerant place.